BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan signed Ordinance No. 43 series of 2018 adopting the use of energy conservation technologies and clean renewable energy in all of the City Government facilities and projects.
The ordinance authored by Councilors Benny Bomogao, Faustino Olowan, Michael Lawana and Elaine Sembrano mandates government facilities like office buildings, schools, hospitals, barangay halls, day care centers, health centers, covered courts, streetlights, overpasses, parks, treatment plants and others which use public fund for electricity requirements to use energy saving technologies like the Light-Emitting Diode (LED) and renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and the like.
The measure stressed that this will reduce energy consumption and will thereby balance the expenditure growth of the City.
“The City Accounting Office, in its Summary Report of Benguet Electric Cooperative bills payment for the year 2015, disclosed that the City paid ?71,149,742.23 for its electric consumption. (This) will be reduced if modern saving technologies such as LED would be adopted since it consumes only 15 percent of energy. It is also prudent for the City Government to venture into the use of renewable energies like wind, hydro, and solar energy in order to meet its energy requirements at a lower cost,” the ordinance said.
As decreed, all City Government facilities are mandated to use energy-saving technologies, equipment and devices starting with the replacement of all bulbs or fixtures with LED or other proven cost-saving technology within a period of one year for vertical structures and two years for horizontal structures, streetlights and park lightings following the effectivity of the ordinance.
This is in line with Section 38, Article 8 of Ordinance Numbered 18, Series of 2016, known as the Environment Code of the City of Baguio adopting the green infrastructure or building plan and designs.
The measure also mandates the City Buildings and Architecture Office to whenever practicable recommend to applicants securing building permit or electricity service connection to incorporate the use of energy-efficient options like LED, solar or other energy saving device or technologies in their constructions.
The CBAO along with the City Engineering Office (CEO), the City General Services Office (GSO), the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) and the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) were tasked to formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the ordinance within 60 days upon approval its approval.
The measure also provided provisions for initial funding to implement the LED replacement and on the restoration of damaged lighting fixtures in the event of calamities. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
